Boot or shoe



(No Model.)

G. B. HOOPER.

BOOT OR SHOE.

No. 485,813. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

ygI'NE EJEEE.

UNITED STATES GEORGE l3. I-IOOPER, OF STO PATENT OFFICE,

neuron, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,813, dated November8, 1892.

Application filed December 1, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. I-loornn, of Stoughton, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Boots or Shoes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improvement in boots orshoes whereby the heel of the wearer can be yieldingly supported, so asto make the act of walking easier, particularly on pavements and otherhard surfaces.

The invention consists in a boot or shoe having that portion of itsfoot-bearing surface which supports the heel of the wearer, andhereinafter termed the heel-seat,made with a deeper concave than usual,its central portion being depressed to a greater extent than would berequired to conform to the bottom of the wearers heel, and a metallicspring-plate of cruciform shape attached at one end to the shank portionof the sole and extended across the heel-seat, the free end of thespring bearing on the raised margin of the heel-seat, while the mainportion of the spring extends across the deep concave and is permittedby the depth of the concave to rise and fall sufficiently to relieve thefoot from. the jar which attends the descent of the heel of the boot orshoe upon a paveinent.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 represents alongitudinal section of a shoe provided with myimprovement. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In carrying out my invention I construct a boot or shoe so that theheel-seat a, which is under the heel of the wearer of the boot or shoe,has a deeper cavity than that required to fit the bottom of the heel,said heel-seat being usually formed so that it will conform closely tothe shape of the bottom of the heel, while in my improved boot or shoethe cavity or heel-seat a is made of such depth that when the wearersheel is in its natural po- Serial No. 413,685. (No model.)

, sition in the boot or shoe there willbe aspace of some depth betweenthe bottom of the heel and the central portion of the heel-seat.

To the shank portion of the sole of the boot or shoe thus formed Iattach at Z) a springplate I), which is formed to extend across theheel-seat a and to bear on the raised rear portion of the same, saidplate being formed so that normally its contour will fit the bottom ofthe wearers heel, the upper surface of the plate corresponding to theform ordi- 6o narily given to the heel-seat of the boot or shoe, so thatthe plate normally occupies a position considerably above the depressedheel-seat formed in accordance with my invention. I provide the springI) with lateral extensions 19 79 which extend across the heelseat andbear at their outer ends on the raised side portions of the heel-seat.

It will be seen that when the wearers weight is brought to bear on theplate 17- the central portion of the'latter will yield and sink into thecavity of the heel-seat, the spring being of such stiffness that whenthe weight of the wearer is distributed between both feet, as when thewearer is standing equally on both feet, the plates b will occupysubstantially their normal position, thereby supporting the bottom ofthe heel above the heel-seat a, each spring yielding only when theentire weight of the wearer is thrown upon it.

This construction makes the boot or shoe much easier to the wearer,particularly in walking over pavements or other hard surfaces. Theimproved construction also tends to produce a circulation of air underthe Wearers heel by reason of the movements of the spring toward andfrom the heel-seat.

The cost of construction of the boot or shoe is not materially increasedby the de scribed improvement, as will be readily seen.

I claim The improved boot or shoe having a heelseat formed with anexcessive concavity and a single metallic spring-plate of cruciform 5shape attached at one end to the shank portion of the shoe-sole andextended across said concavity, the free ends of the spring bearing onthe raised margin of the heel-seat,

] two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of whereby said spring-platemay yield under November, A. D. 1891. the pressure of the wearers heeluntil the I plate fits said. concavity, substantially as de- I 5scribed.

\Vitnesses: In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification, in the presence of GEORGE B. HOOPER.

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

